CVE-2015-5763 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
ntfs in Apple OS X before 10.10.5 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5763 affects the ntfs driver component within Apple macOS operating systems prior to version 10.10.5. This issue resides in the NTFS file system implementation that allows Apple systems to read and write to NTFS formatted volumes. The vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that could be exploited by local attackers to either escalate privileges or cause system instability through memory corruption. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability could be triggered through various methods of interaction with the NTFS file system driver, making it particularly concerning for security professionals who must consider multiple potential attack surfaces.
The technical implementation flaw within the ntfs driver stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices when processing NTFS file system structures. This type of vulnerability typically manifests when the driver fails to properly validate file system metadata or handle malformed data structures that could lead to buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption scenarios. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-122, which covers buffer overflow conditions. These memory corruption issues can be particularly dangerous in kernel-level components where improper memory handling can lead to privilege escalation or system crashes. The attack surface is expanded by the fact that NTFS support is built into macOS, making it accessible through normal file system operations and potentially through automated scripts or applications that interact with NTFS volumes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to macOS systems running affected versions. Local users who can access the system with standard user privileges could exploit this flaw to gain elevated system privileges, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level access. The denial of service aspect presents additional operational concerns as memory corruption could cause system crashes, forcing unexpected reboots or rendering the system unstable. The impact extends beyond individual systems to enterprise environments where macOS devices may be used to access NTFS volumes from Windows systems, creating potential attack vectors through shared storage or backup operations. Organizations using macOS for development, testing, or cross-platform operations are particularly vulnerable since these systems often need to interact with NTFS formatted storage devices.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2015-5763 primarily involves upgrading to Apple macOS version 10.10.5 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the ntfs driver vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as disabling NTFS support when it is not required, monitoring for unusual system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, and maintaining updated security monitoring tools that can detect potential privilege escalation activities. Organizations should consider implementing least privilege principles to limit local user access to systems that might be vulnerable, while also ensuring that all systems are regularly updated with the latest security patches. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploit for privilege escalation, and T1499, which covers network denial of service. Regular security assessments should include verification that NTFS support is properly configured and that no unnecessary access to NTFS volumes exists, as this reduces the attack surface for potential exploitation of this and related vulnerabilities.